US vs Iran: Over 4000 flights cancelled daily

More than 4,000 flights are being cancelled every day across the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict following joint Israeli and U.S. military action against Iran.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 says hundreds of thousands of passengers have already been affected, and the disruption could increase if the crisis continues, impacting global air travel.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that by Monday morning, 79% of flights to Qatar and 71% to the UAE had been cancelled.

The situation was worse in other areas, with 81% of flights to Israel and 92% to Bahrain grounded.

In the UAE, Etihad Airways suspended all services until 14:00 local time (10:00 GMT) on Tuesday, though a few flights operated on Monday, including EY67 to London Heathrow. Other flights departed to Moscow, Paris, Cairo, Delhi, and Karachi.

Some repositioning, cargo, and repatriation flights may operate with UAE approval, but regular passenger flights remain suspended.

Dubai Airports announced a limited resumption of operations from Monday evening, allowing only a small number of flights.

Emirates airline said it would prioritize passengers with existing bookings and contact affected travelers directly.

In Qatar, airspace remains closed and Qatar Airways has suspended all flights until it is safe to reopen.

Experts warn that prolonged airspace closures across the Gulf, a key corridor connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa, could cause long-term travel disruption, higher airfares, and delays in global supply chains.

The conflict escalated after Israel and the U.S. launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, targeting military sites, nuclear facilities, missile launchers, and officials including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

President Donald Trump said the goal was to dismantle Iran’s missile capabilities, stop its nuclear program, and weaken its support for groups like Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel and other regional targets. By March 1-2, explosions occurred in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, and Beirut. Preliminary reports indicate at least 201 dead and 747 injured in Iran, and nine dead and 121 injured in Israel.

With the Gulf being a major Europe-Asia-Africa corridor, airspace closures in Qatar, Bahrain, UAE, and Israel have caused widespread disruption. Dubai has partially resumed flights, while Qatar Airways and Etihad continue limited operations under strict approvals.